Woman Questioned Over Murder Of 3 Family Members In Eastleigh

The woman on Thursday, October 24 claimed that she was abducted along with the three victims and was held in the same room where they were locked up after being abducted.

Woman Questioned Over Murder Of 3 Family Members In Eastleigh
Image of a crime scene. /VIRAL TEA KE

Detectives at the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) headquarters questioned a woman of Somali origin who provided crucial information to the abduction and subsequent murder of three family members who went missing from Eastleigh before their bodies were found.

The woman on Thursday, October 24 claimed that she was abducted along with the three victims and was held in the same room where they were locked up after being abducted. The victims included 25-year-old Amina Abdirashid, her 36-year-old mother Waris Daud, and her 12-year-old niece Nuseiba Dahir, who were found dead in separate locations after disappearing earlier in the week.

The abductors were reported to have demanded a ransom to release them, with her family managing to raise Ksh1 million, which was deposited into an Ethiopian bank account.

It is her statement that is being treated as a critical lead in the investigations in connection to these mysterious killings and police are investigating whether she was an accomplice or a victim.

CCTV footage depicts the last moments of two Eastleigh girls aged 10 and 22 before their disappearance on October 21, 2024. /VIRAL TEA KE.CITIZEN TV

Furthermore, a motor vehicle believed to have been used in the abduction was recovered by detectives at Ukulima Market in Kamukunji, Nairobi. 

The investigators also analyzed the victims' mobile phones, revealing that on the night of the abduction, the phones were traced within Eastleigh for a period, then moved to General Waruinge, Hombe Road, and one phone was switched off near Pangani.

It is suspected that after the three were killed, the suspect dumped their bodies in different locations. Abdi's body was left in Bahati, while Abdirashid's body was dumped in Parklands.

After leaving Parklands, the suspect reportedly picked up another woman along City Road before heading to South C, where they dumped the severed hands of Daud. The suspect then proceeded to Kyumbi, Machakos County, where the body of Daud was abandoned.

Investigators are analyzing CCTV footage and payment details from a petrol station where the suspect fuelled the vehicle during this journey.

Further complicating the case, it emerged that Daud’s husband is in the United Kingdom, living with a second wife. Police are probing whether this second wife, who was recently in Kenya, may know about the killings.

Meanwhile, on Thursday, business activity ground to a halt in Eastleigh while residents staged peaceful protests in the wake of the mysterious murders of the trio. The powerful impact of the protests was evident as vehicles were forced to seek alternative routes in Eastleigh's Ninth and 12th Street.

Area Member of Parliament Yusuf Hassan was also at the frontline demanding justice for the slain women while businessmen and women temporarily halted their work to show support.

Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna condemned the killings, stating: "Given the recent wave of abductions and killings, it's hard to believe anyone feels a sense of safety in our own country right now. Nobody is safe until all of us are safe."

According to a family member who spoke to the media, Waris had complained of feeling unwell on Monday evening around 7 p.m. and informed her daughter and niece that she was going to seek medical attention.

Concerned about her mother’s whereabouts, Amina contacted her around 9 p.m. Waris reassured her that she would be home soon. When Waris did not return home, Amina and Nuseiba set out to the hospital to search for her but never returned.

The following day, the family received the tragic news that all three women had been found dead. CCTV footage released by authorities showed Amina and Nuseiba boarding a taxi around 9 p.m., heading to the hospital to check on Waris. This was the last time they were seen alive.

This adds to the worrying pattern of murders witnessed over the past few months. Inspector General of Police, Douglas Kanja, revealed in a statement on Thursday that the National Police Service (NPS) has recorded 339 murder cases from August to October 2024 compared to 336 cases in 2023 and 341 cases in 2022.

Eastleigh residents stage protests on Thursday, October 24, 2024. /EDWIN SIFUNA